Climate scientists have accused the Government of going in the opposite direction to the rest of the world on climate change in the wake of last week's release of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.

The Climate Institute, an independent research organisation, has also called on the Government to rethink its commitment to a 5 per cent carbon emissions reduction target.

While in opposition the Coalition said it would honour a commitment by the Labor government to increase its emissions-reduction target under the right conditions.

The institute says last week's IPCC report shows that many of those conditions are now being met, most crucially an increased commitment to emissions reductions by developed nations such as China and the US.

It says developed countries have committed to average reductions of between 10 and 12 per cent and Australia will now have to play catch-up before next year's UN climate conference in Peru.

John Connor, the institute's chief executive, says the Government has a commitment not only to the Australian public, but to the international community.

"The way this works is pretty simple. It's just like a water buy-back. We go in and we purchase the lowest cost emissions reduction. Now we've done all of that against a worst-case scenario and in fact what I've seen since coming into office is that instead of a gap which we have to close of about 750 million tonnes to achieve our global targets," he said.

"It's now, as we said before the election, closer to 440 million tonnes.

"We'll achieve it without a carbon tax and we'll achieve it by taking pressure off electricity prices."

The independent Climate Change Authority is expected to deliver its review of emissions targets next month.

In a leaked draft earlier this year, it flagged the possibility of a trebling of the 5 per cent target and a 40 per cent cut by 2030.

Mr Hunt has reportedly said he will review any recommendations made by the authority.

But he also plans to abolish the body, together with the Climate Change Commission and the carbon tax.